Window-tent.



PATENTED JAN. 8, 1907.

No. fi m-.975.

W. E WALSH. WINDOWJI'E APPLIGATION FILED APR.1'7,1906.

To all whom it may concern.-

r riot WlLLliAli i E. WALSH, OF MQRRIS, ILLINOIS.

win'oow rsn'r.

{specification of Letters I Patent.

Patented Jan. 8, 1907.

Application filed April 17,1908. Serial No. 312,271,

Be it known that I; WrLLniM E. WA sn, a citizen oi the United States, residing at Morris, in the county of Grundy and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in vi indowlents, of which. the following is a specification.

In the treatment of tuberculosis and kindrcd diseases of the lungs it has been demon strated that the only method of alleviation or cure which is at all ell'eotive is the freshair treatment, during the progress of which. the patient lives out of doors as much as possible and sleeps and eats in a tent or light shed which allows an abumlance of fresh air to be supplied to the living-quarters. It is obvious that such treatment can only be supplicd to those who are enabled to leave the more congested portions of the city and spend their livesfin the suburbs or the country or in some spot where it is possible to pitch. a. tent and obtain the necessary fresh air. In the tenement and more crowded districts of cities where no yards are provided it is ordinarily impossible lor the patient to find space in which to rear a tent or shed even if the conditions were otln rwiso favorable for such an arrangement, and by reason of the crowding and lack of air and light in such cmigesied districts the death rate is very high.

The object ol' the presentinvention is-to provide a 'vcntiiating-box or windowtent which is adapted to provide lor the patient substantially the same con litionsall'orded by open-air life in a tent or shed and without many of tho disco'nil'orts and inconveniences incident to living in this manner. The window-tout is adapted to be inserted through a window of any suitable size and to supply to the patients lungs an abundance of fresh air, the patients body meanwhilebeing in. the warm room and unexposed to the cold air from out of doors. The window-trait possesses many other l'eatures of advantage in that it can be readily taken down and stowed away when 'not in use. It 1S so arranged that, although the paticnts head is within the tent or box, the room will not be Although the tent is adapted more espethe box to be inward cially for the treatment of lung disease, its

abundant supply of fresh air without any at tendant disconi l'orts.

In the drawings illustrating the invention, Figure 1 is a cross-sectional viewof the window-tent, showing the method of positioning the patient in suitable proximity thereto;

Fig. 12, a side elevation of the tent Fig. 3, a perspective view of the framework; F lg. 4, a ongitudinal sectional view showing the arrangement with respect to a winoow, and Fig. 5 a. view of the hinged bracket for the outer ilap. v

The window-tent is in the form of an elongated rectangular canvas box having side walls 1, a top wall or roof 2, a bottom 3, an inner end wall 4, and an outer end wall 5. The bottom is cutaway at the outer end to provide an opening 6, which, as shown,; extends substantially one-third of the length of the entire box, but may be otherwise proportioned, if desired. The roof of the box is supported by means of a rectan ular frame consisting of side rails 7 and Gilt cross-rails 8, as best shown in Fig. 3. The frai'ne is supported by means of side uprights 9, having diagonal b sees 10 secured thereto. The side uprights and braces are secured to the side rails by ineans'of hinges 11', which arrangement allows the side uprights on opposite sides of folded with respect to one aa'iothcr when it is desired. to stow away the tent or box. The uprighls are distended by means of a hinged brzuzliel- 12, having side arms 17; terminating in pivot ends H, adapted. to be inserted into the inner sides of the side uprights, and the b acket is completed by means of a (l'()SS-l'Ol.l l5, connecting the side arms. The bracket as a whole is prclen ably made ol a single piece olhspring-steel ol' proper dimensions to be inwardly con1- pressed when the pivotal ends are inserted into the sideuprights, so that alter the inscrti e ment reinforces the free edge surrounding the opening 6 and at the same time permits the [bracket and the canvas secured thereto to be raised and lowered to elevate or depress the opening in order to vary the amount of air admitted therethrough. The bracket has secured thereto a cord 17, which is passed throughan eye 18 in the outer cross-rail 8 and extends along the roof of the box or tent .0 within suitable proximity of the patient and is secured at its inner end to a cleat 19 or nilar fastening means, which arrangement alhiws the bracket to be raised and lowered at will and the ainoum of. air admitted 1 5 through the opening to be varied. The inner portion of the box is provided with a slit or opening 20 near the lower edge thereof, throu h which slit or opening head is inserted into the box. This opening 20 may be on. either side of the box, depending uponthe position of the patients body, or the box, if desired, may be provided with two openings of this character, onefor each side, adapting the patients body to extend in 2 5 either direction. The 'fia when not inuse can be closed by means of uttons 21 or other suitable fastening means, and it is preferred to have the edge of the flap 22 suitably weighted to lie close against the body of the 0 patient to prevent the admission of air:

through the slit or opening into the room. The outer sides of the box have secured thereto guide-strips 23, which are in alinement with the uprights 9 and are nailed or screwed 5 through the canvas, the guide-stripsbeing provided with cuts 24 in alinement with the hinges 11 for permitting the ioldin of'the sides. In alinement with 'the gui e-strips 23 are a air of transversely-extending cleats 0 25, which extend across the top and provide rn opening 26, into which the window-seclion 27 is dropped. The guide-strips 23 are intended to fit into the w1ndow-gu1de chan nels 28, so that when the box or tent is posia5 tioned within the window it will be firmly held therein against displacement and so tightly secured that there will be no cracks or openings for the admission of air to the room.

if desired, the wall of the box may be pro- 5o vided. with a window 29, of transparent cellu loid or other suitable material, for admitting light to the box and permitting the patient to look out into the room. In case the window is of greater width than the box or tent the open space may befilled by means of a suitably proportioned. board or other suitable filling.

ed adjacent to the window and move; to have 6 the inner part of the box or tent immediately above the head of the bed or cot. The patients pillow can be laced within the box or immediately beneat the box, and the patient lies-with his head within the box or tent and his body outside of thebox or tent the .patients.

seasre and within the warm room. The weighted flap of the slit or opening rests against the body near the neck of the patient, and the bedclothing is drawn up to com letely protectall portions of the patients hody, leav 7c ing only the head exposed to the action of the fresh outside air. The outer portion of the box or tent is referably waterproof to prevent leakage an the intrusion of dam ness, and the hinged end can be entirey dropped when the weather is inclement to prevent the admissionof rain, snow, and undesirable amount of wind; but when the weather is fine the hinged end can be raised more or less to enlarge the opening and, provide a more direct ingress for the air. The amount of air admitted will of course depend upon the nature of the weather and the cond tion of the patient; but experience has shown that there is no danger of the patie'nts catching cold when sufhcient bedclothing is provided to keep the body warm. If the weather is extremely cold, a blanket'or quilt can be spread entirely over the box or tent, which prevents the cold walls thereof from cooling the'r'oorn, the temperature of which can be maintained at any desired degree. The framework hereinbefore described merely serves to illustrate a desirable arrangement of parts but it is obvious that the frame- 5 work can be changed or .modified without departing from the s irit of the invention. The value of this win ow-tent has been fully demonstrated, and its employment enables the dwellers in flat buildings and tencmcnt- Ico houses to secure 'for themselves all of the curative benefits incident to life in a tent or shed in so far as such advantages can be obtained in the atmosphere of a large city. At the same time no expense isinvolved in the use of the device, and the patient, if not totally incapacitated by reason of the disease, can continue at his work or occupation during the day-time. Furthermore, the atmoshere of the house will not be contaminated by the breath of the atient, so that the device isof extreme va ue from a sanitary as well as a curative standpoint. In some res ects the window-tent is highly su erior to v t e average tent in that the venti ation is I perfect and the air supplied to the patient is repeatedly renewed an n'ever contaminated b long and continued usage, whereas tents oi ordinary construction; unless arranged with special reference to the intended use, are not well ventilated, so' that the air within the tent, although it may be .cold, isfre- In use the patients bed or cot 30 is ositionquently foul and unfit for a consumptive person to breathe.

It will beseen from the foregoing description that the device ofthe' present invention is of extreme value in the treatment of discases and in the preservation of health and that it aiiords the poorer class of the community a highly-advantageous method of se- 0 with an opening at its outer end and adapted to have its outer end projected through a window to bring the opening in communication with the outer atmosphere, the inner portion of the box being provided with an opening for the insertion therethrough of the head of a patient, leaving the body 7 of the patient outside of the box and within the room, sub- 'stantially as described.

2. In a device of the class described, a

framework and a covering for the framework constituting a'box adapted to be projected through a window, the inner end of the box being provided with an opening for the insertion of a patients head and being otherwise closed, and the outer or projected portion being provided with'an opening in communication with the outer atmosphere, substantially as described.

3.' In a device of the class described, a framework and a covering for the framework constituting a box adapted to. be projected through a window, the inner end of the box being provided with an opening for the insertion of a patients head and being otherwise closed, and the outer or projected portion being provided with an opening in its lower side in communication with the outer atmosphere, substantially as described.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination of a framework, a covering therefor providing a substantially rectangular box having an opening in the bottom of the outer end portion, a hinged bracket to which the fabric surrounding the opening is secured, means for raising and lowering the hinged bracket, and an opening for the insertion of a patients head, substantially as described.

5. In a device of the class described, the

combination of a framework, a covering therefor providing a substantially rectangular box having an opening in the bottom of the outer end ortion, a hinged bracket to which the fabric surrounding the opening is secured, means for raising and lowering the hinged bracket, an opening for the insertion of a patients head, and a weighted edge adjacent .to the opening for preventing the admission of air from the box to the room, substantially as described.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination of a rectangular framework, uprights secured to the framework and depending therefrom, a hinged bracket secured to the lower ends of the uprights, a covering of fabric surrounding the framework and uprights and providing a rectangular box adapted to be outwardly projected through a window and having an opening in the bottom of the on twardly-projected portion, the edges of the fabric. being secured to the hinged bracket, and the fabric further having an opening for the projection of a-patients head into the box, substantially as described.

7. In a device of the class described, the

' combination of a rectangular framework, up-

rights secured to the framework and depending therefrom, a hinged bracket secured to the lower ends of'the uprights, a covering of fabric surrounding the framework and uprights and providing a rectangular box adapted to.be outwardly projected through a win--' dew and having an opening in the bottom of the outwardly-projecting portion, the edges of the fabric being secured to the hinged bracket, and the fabric further having an opening for the projection of a patients head into the box, and a cord secured to the hinged bracket and extending within suitable reach of the patient for raising and lowering the hinged bracket and the covering secured thereto, substantially as described.

WILLIAM E. WALSH.

Witnesses:

FRED S. JoHNsoN, H. H. HALL. 

